MEDAN ROUNDCHANDRA KUMALA SCHOOL January 17-18, 2018 Theme and Subjects 2018: An Entangled World Special Area Human Relationships Introductory Questions Aristotle once wrote, “Man is by nature a social animal.” What do you think he meant? Why do you think we form relationships with other people? What makes some relationships more lasting or more meaningful than others? Are some people more social than others? If so, why do you think this is? Friendship comes with benefits; does it also come with costs? For many people, the most important human relationships are those they form with their families. Are family relationships similar all over the world, or do they vary meaningfully by culture? And, is it always better to be close to your family? Is there anyone with whom you thought you’d never become friends, but to whom you are now close? Conversely, is there anyone with whom you thought you’d be friends forever, but from whom you have since grown apart? Are your friends mostly IRL, or do many of them live on the internet? How are relationships different across different mediums of communication and interaction? Hoops of Steel | Understanding Friendship Essential Questions o Is proximity the most important force in starting friendships? o Do we like our friends because of who they are—or because they like who we are? o Why do some people choose to have fewer friends? o What is the greatest number of friends a person can have? The Ingredients of Friendship o sympathy | empathy | “similarity begets friendship” o childhood | reciprocation | trust o proximity | propinquity | “repeated, unplanned interactions” Friendly Terms to Know o dependency | imaginary friend | BFF o mutual friend | bromance and womance | frenemy o critical friend | Six Degrees of Separation o homosociality | Dunbar number | hedgehog’s dilemma Unfriendly Terms to Know o language barrier | unemployment | aging | hermitage | loneliness o passive-aggressive | avoidant personality disorder | agoraphobia o avolition | hikikomori | ghosting | seenzoning | ostracization o stigmatization | betrayal | “it’s not you, it’s me” | introverted vs antisocial We’re a Happy… | Family and Kinship Family Ties o What is unique to your family relationships—or are there some things you would never do with your family? o What would your life be like if you grew up in a differently structured family? o Biologically, your family is the people who are genetically closest to you. Socially, how and why might this definition be different? Types of Family and Kinship o nuclear | single parent | childless | adoptive o extended | beanpole | reconstituted | clan o family of choice | surrogacy | milk kinship o grandparents | blended | dysfunctional Additional Terms to Know o ABCX Model | family systems theory | family resilience o attachment theory | only child | parenting styles o consanguinity | family tree | genealogy Wherefore Art Thou? | Romantic Entanglements Essential Questions o Is “romantic love” a modern concept? When did it first come about? o How are dating and courtship viewed in different cultures? o Why are more people than ever before choosing not to marry? o Should marriage be treated as a contractual arrangement? o What is the science behind love--can love be seen as a chemical reaction or neurological phenomenon? Terms to Know o infatuation | puppy love | love-hate | friendzone o limerence | free love | sublimation | crystallization o philia, storge, agape, and eros | unrequited love | pda o love triangle | breakup | long-distance | proposal o oxytocin | phenylethylamine | norepinephrine A Deeper Look at Marriage o bridewealth | wedding | dowry | concubinage | polygamy | monogamy o arranged marriage | cohabitation | alimony | living apart together o ghost marriage | sheng nu | nikah mut’ah | ketubah | levirate o civil union | no-fault divorce | annulment | green card marriage Friending is a Verb | Digital Connections Essential Questions o How has social media influenced your relationships? o Does social media affect the way you perceive other people? o What would your life be like without social media? o Do people relate differently when they are anonymous online than when they use their real names? o How does the medium in which we communicate affect what we’re saying? Can you communicate something on Snapchat that you can’t on.and why would you choose one medium over another? Notable Social Media (Examples) o As you explore each medium. whether hallways in a dormitory or castes in a society. say. consider its impact on human relationships. How do relationships form within and across such boundaries? o When two very different communities are forced to interact. How does it bring people together? What are its limitations? What assumptions does it make or encourage? o Interacting o Email and Letter-Writing o Facebook | Twitter | MySpace | Viber | Tinder o Discord | Whatsapp | WeChat | Vkontakte o Sharing o Snapchat | Instagram | Reddit | LinkedIn o Line | Kakaotalk | Behance | Pinterest o Tumblr | StumbleUpon Modern Exchange and Interaction o parasocial interaction | obsession | Internet relationship o uses and gratification theory | celebrity worship | virality o misrepresentation | cyberstalking | cyberasociality o synchronization | pseudocommunity | Media Equation Connections of the Future o quantum communication | hologram | ansible o augmented reality | virtual reality | smart machines o voice-enabled technologies | artificial intelligence Over Sideways and Under | Relationships Around Boundaries Essential Questions o Some communities create boundaries between themselves and the rest of the world. how do the people within them relate? Do they become more alike or more different? What might lead to one outcome or the other? Key Social Structures to Explore (examples) o intentional community | multigenerational living o commune | kibbutz | ashram | ecovillage | cohousing o micronation | Levittown | hostel | dormitory | ghetto o gangs | fraternities | sororities | societies Additional Terms to Learn o border towns | “Chinatowns” | enclaves and exclaves o mutual society | culture shock | assimilation | adaptation o acculturation | biculturalism | hybridity | xenophobia . WhatsApp . does living within such boundaries affect how relationships form? o Other communities are organized with internal boundaries. and should we try to contact them? How would it affect them if they integrated into a globalized environment? Research border towns around the world .Questions for Further Discussion Consider the Monument of Kalhu. are they necessarily a bad thing? Why is the exchange of rings linked to marriage in so much of the world – and are there any widespread alternatives? Furby. does the process of making friends actually differ as you age? Should we create more situations in which it is easier for older people to make friends? Studies suggest that people with pets (in this case. What does your family look like? Have families changed since your parents were children? Your grandparents? Compare these two isolated societies—one that still resists contact. Paro. India. then discuss with your team: in your experience. How do they differ from. those with flesh-and-blood people? That filter on your selfie.and discuss with your team: do these communities benefit from their entanglements? How notably are their cultures impacted? Should governments do more to open cities to their cross-border counterparts? What are some of the psychological reasons that we interact with other people the way we do? Consider the spiral of silence theory. and one that tried to.such as Heihe and Blagoveshchensk. Siri! Voice-enabled technologies allow us to effectively have conversations with robots. Have you ever refrained from voicing your opinion for fear of negative consequences? In hindsight. would it have been better if you had spoken up? Look into the Five Bonds of Confucianism. El Paso and Juarez. and affect. but failed. shop. then discuss with your team: how well do they describe relationships in today's world. offline or online? And. Discuss with your team: do you recognize any "caste systems" in your own lives. human relationships are organized by formal or informal caste systems. Would it be in the best interests of such societies to reach out. dogs) live longer. the linked article suggests that such a caste system continues to impact society in the world's largest democracy. what would they be. believed to be the oldest-surviving record of a handshake. and work through the service Wechat. millions of people talk. or to amount to a double life. Discuss with your team: is it possible for animals to substitute for humans in terms of companionship and friendship? Do humans ultimately need to lead lives entangled with those of others in order to be their healthiest. What aspects of a culture might make it more feasible to implement such a service? Are there any drawbacks to conducting your life through a single platform? Why has WeChat had trouble expanding into new markets? Hey. and should we try to follow them in our own lives? If you had to list the bonds you believe apply most to modern society. then discuss with your team: why are handshakes as universal a gesture as they are? (And are they as universal as people think?) What are alternatives to handshakes within and across different cultures? This linked TIME article discusses the changing American family. that Photoshopped landscape—some consider the way we portray ourselves on social media to be deceptive. but industrialization (and technologization) is changing families around the world. and are there social benefits to altering reality? . Discuss with your team: should people be more authentic on the Internet. and Shenzhen and Hong Kong . happiest selves? In some societies. which enables its users to conduct nearly all the business of their daily lives. even (someday) BB8: is it possible (and/or desirable) for people to have human-like relationships with artificial friends? In China. and how much would they vary from culture to culture or place to place? Consider this article. were human. and do they vary online? Look into the case of this wormhole connecting students at Stanford and MIT. then discuss with your team: do you have any enemies? Does your family? What causes people to become enemies. if so? Much of this outline has focused on friendship. How does the wormhole try to emulate aspects of real-life friendship formation? Consider the theory (most associated with Stanford professor Clifford Nass) that humans relate to computers as if they. too. if any. Do you agree with MIT professor Sherry Turkle (in this slightly dated interview) that social media offers the "illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship"? Discuss with your team: what. Consider this article. *are* the demands of friendship. is the whole concept of enemies more applicable to fiction than to real life? . Discuss with your team: have you found this theory (the so-called "Media Equation") to be true in your own lives? What are the implications for the design of computers and other gadgets. but we should take some time to study a very different sort of human relationship: that of enemies. and is the process reversible? Or. How different was it than diplomacy today? Example civilizations to research: o City-States of Ancient Greece | Han Dynasty China o Byzantine Empire | Renaissance Italy | Ancient India Look into the evolution of modern diplomatic institutions. under what circumstances? How about revolutionary movements. concluding (for now) with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations in 1961. Have the roles.History The History of Diplomacy Introductory Questions What is the purpose of diplomacy? How is diplomacy different than discussion? Does a diplomat always represent one party’s interests to another party? How did modern diplomatic protocols come about—and do these protocols do more to strengthen diplomacy or to limit it? When two countries sign a treaty. or terrorist organizations? Origins of Diplomacy Explore the origins of diplomacy in historical civilizations. responsibilities. and privileges of diplomats changed significantly over time? You Scratch My Back | The Instruments of Diplomacy Diplomatic Institutions o embassy | consulate | mission | asylum o diplomatic immunity | diplomatic bags | rezidentura Diplomatic Offices o ambassador | envoy | minister | consul o secretary | counselor | charge d'affaire Approaches to Diplomacy o gunboat | coercive | preventive | appeasement o paradiplomacy | soft power | hard power o nuclear | counterinsurgency | public . what guarantees it will be upheld? Is diplomacy inherently political? Are diplomats politicians? What is the difference between an ambassador and a diplomat? Does diplomacy need to look different in the 21st century? How do countries come to diplomatic agreements—and what happens when two nations cannot reach a diplomatic agreement? What problems has international diplomacy helped to solve in recent years – and what problems has it helped to create? Is it ever appropriate for a diplomat to express disagreement with his or her country’s leader? Should diplomats be granted special privileges when they are representing their nations abroad? Do businesses and other non-governmental institutions need diplomats—and if so. a doctrine that guided the . entangling alliances with none" . American president Thomas Jefferson called for "honest friendship with all nations. 7-29) | Francois de Callieres Remarks on Russia | Samantha Power Blood and Iron (excerpt) | Otto von Bismarck An Independent Diplomat | Carne Ross The Fog of Peace (excerpt) | Gabrielle Rifkind and Gianni Picco Additional Cases & Questions Should schools teach be required to teach courses in diplomacy and conflict resolution? If you were a diplomat working on behalf of your school. R. Narayanan | Thomas Jefferson o Kim Dae-jung | Oscar Arias | Zhou Enlai | Mikhail Gorbachev o Samantha Power | Ban Ki-Moon | Dag Hammarskjöld o U Thant | Ambassador Spock | Colin Powell | António Guterres How were diplomats (and diplomacy) involved in… (examples) o July Crisis | Cuban Missile Crisis | Fashoda Incident | Great Game o One China Policy | Middle East Qatari embargo | Zimmerman Telegram o South China Sea disputes | XYZ Affair | U-2 Incident | Christmas Truce o Pig and Potato War | the Falkland Islands | Partition of India Selected Readings and Speeches (Examples) The Practice of Diplomacy ("The Art of Negotiation" to "Courage" p. where would you be sent and what would you be asked to do? In first inaugural address. o dollar | cyber | zero-sum | third neighbor Additional Terms to Know o proxenos | paiza | plenipotentiary | peacemaker o non-state actors | alliance | summit | embargo o persona non grata | extraterritoriality | sanctions o self-determination | polarity | realpolitik | ultimatum Pen to Paper | The Outcomes of Diplomacy Notable Pacts and Treaties (examples) o Amarna letters | Treaty of Nerchinsk | Peace of Westphalia o Abuja Treaty | Treaty of Utrecht | Treaty of Versailles o Paris Peace Accords | Antarctic Treaty | Khitomer Accords o Treaty of Tordesillas | Paris Climate Agreement | Sugauli Treaty o Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty | Douglas Treaties Institutions of Accord (examples) o Congress of Vienna | Congress of Berlin | Conference of Ambassadors o League of Nations | United Nations | ASEAN | G20 o NATO | OPEC | Arab League | Commonwealth of Nations o APEC | African Union | European Union Off in Paris For So Long | The Role of Diplomats Famous Diplomats and Peacemakers (examples) o Niccolo Machiavelli | Otto von Bismarck | Henry Kissinger o Eleanor Roosevelt | K. and why might one be more difficult to negotiate than the other? As you explore how nations attempt to influence one another. and is it good for nations to avoid them? To what degree does the United States follow this doctrine today? How about your own country? Want to try diplomacy firsthand? Try playing this online version of a famous diplomatic board game. Are there any lessons we can take from this brief moment of harmony to apply in diplomatic efforts today—and if so. nations must participate in regional and global trade agreements. are they also applicable to interpersonal situations? Sometimes. Discuss with your team: what are entangling alliances. then (after researching the details of the conference) discuss with your team: was this one of diplomacy's finest hours? Learn about the diplomatic maneuvering behind the signing of the Iran Nuclear Deal. Under what circumstances would you recommend a nation employ one or the other. the little ball moves the big ball. To thrive in today’s economy. Research some of these agreements—including those that are up for renegotiation. or are they always best used in tandem? Discuss with your team: do we have the equivalents of hard and soft power in our everyday interactions and entanglements? Amidst all of the bloodshed of World War II. Explore how "ping pong" may have paved the way to improved relations (and. foreign policy of the United States for many years. Discuss with your team: are there lessons to be learned from this case for other difficult international relationships in the world today? Consider this iconic image of the Yalta Conference toward the end of World War II. Is it indeed a triumph of diplomacy. and could similar arrangements be made with other nations? Consider the practice of "panda diplomacy" by the People's Republic of China. there was one Christmas day when thousands of soldiers on either side temporarily banded together for the sake of festivity. economic interdependence) between the United States and China. and those that failed. one ostensibly beloved by figures such as John F. Kennedy and Henry Kissinger. What is the difference between a bilateral and multilateral trade agreement. What can we learn from it? How do different cultural expectations affect negotiations between countries? Consider the case of Chen Guangcheng. which required some tricky diplomacy between two countries with very different approaches to directness. Discuss with your team: what makes panda diplomacy so effective. consider the difference between "hard power" and "soft power". arguably. and do other countries use similar tactics? Is it fair to the pandas? . or a sketch? To what extent are laws about intellectual property and fair use able to be upheld justly? Set I | Everyday Entanglement Art o The Bus | Frida Kahlo o My Parents | David Hockney o Nighthawks | Edward Hopper o I and the Village | Marc Chagall o Listening Post | Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin o The Oath of the Horatii | Jacques Louis-David o Connected | xkcd o Embroidered Family Photos | Juana Gomez o Wynyard Station escalators | Chris Fox o Gemelli (Twins) | Alighiero Boetti Music o Für Elise | Ludwig van Beethoven o Habanera | Georges Bizet o Khallini Shoufak | Najwa Karam o Malaika | Miriam Makeba o The Moon Represents My Heart | Teresa Teng o Ojalá | Silvio Rodriguez o What is Love | Haddaway o Everybody Loves Somebody | Dean Martin o We Are Family | Sister Sledge o The Quiz | Hello Saferide o Banana Pancakes | Jack Johnson Set II | Beyond Space and Time Art o Live High Five | KLM o Mappa Mundi | Fra Mauro . consider the contexts in which they were created. such as dislike? In what ways can art and music allow people to connect and interact across cultures. How can art and music reflect the culture and society of the times in which they were created? Is it possible to "own" an doodle. or is there always an impulse to share what you enjoy with others? How do different media express emotions like fondness and love in different ways? Is there a best way to evoke them? What about negative emotions.Art & Music Braving the Distance Introductory Questions Do you tend to listen to music or appreciate art (from sculptures to Snaps) by yourself. or a melody. or even across time? When exploring each of these selected works. C. o Halfnhalf Project | shinli-art o Cueva de las Manos | Hunter-Gatherers o Love Locks Bridge | Residents of Cologne o Memory Matrix Installation | MIT o Hemlock Hospice | David Buckley Borden & Aaron Ellison o Relativity | M. Escher Music o Hey There Delilah | Plain White T’s o Guess How Much I Love You | The Lucksmiths o We Didn’t Start the Fire | Billy Joel o Murder in the City | The Avett Brothers o Letter to Me | Brad Paisley o Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | Green Day o You Will Be Found | Dear Evan Hansen o Someday Out of the Blue | Elton John Set III | When Worlds Collide Art o Girl with a Pierced Eardrum | Banksy o Magdalene's Niece | Cesar Santos o Emoji Nation. Part 3 | Nastya Pitchek o Things From Space | Mark Bryan o Royal Ontario Museum | Daniel Libeskind o EnTWINed | The Singh Twins Music & Dance o Michelle | The Beatles o Amen. Brother | The Winstons o Almost Like Praying | Lin-Manuel Miranda o Earth Passport | Liquid Blue o Where the Hell is Matt? | Matt Harding Case Studies o Louvre Abu Dhabi Review | Holland Cotter o Embrace the Remix | Kirby Ferguson o Happy Birthday Set IV | Caught Up in the Knots Art o House of Thorns | Alice Maher o Inflatable Bag Animals | Joshua Allen Harris o Alexander Cuts Gordian Knot | Jean Simon Berthélemy o Countdown | Wenqing Yan o Periscope | Pawel Kuczynski Music o Finlandia | Jean Sibelius o Tangled Up in Blue | Bob Dylan o Somebody Told Me | The Killers o Every Breath You Take | The Police o In a Crowd of Thousands | Anastasia o Memory | Cats . Is this true? Is art more powerful when it’s not just relatable. and can different styles of art evoke the past in different ways? Take a look at this modern parody of a classic artwork. How can art be used to depict memories. and what (if anything) do they all share? The Amen Break is only the most famous musical sample of all time. would you be happy with it? Look through this gallery of pictures created by two artists and lovers. on their about page. and discuss: does such a recreation honor and immortalize the original work. having inspired everything from the entire genre of drum ‘n’ bass to the Powerpuff Girls theme song. Can we consider dance to be a universal language? Listen to You Will Be Found. permeating into different cultures worldwide. and discuss with your team: what does it mean to need to be found? Would something like the Connor Project be realistic in today's world. the “Happy Birthday” song has been translated into dozens of languages. Note how. they say that “the message inside each artwork becomes stronger as it is reproduced by the audiences”. considering the original drummer never received any royalties for it? Is your city featured in this video? Watch this man goofily dance in cities across the world (including some of our Global Round locations!) and discuss the implications of the fact that so many people from disparate cultures came together to make this happen. but potentially recreatable? Are there any downsides to the padlock metaphor—and is it right for cities to encourage such installations? Over the years. o Bizarre Love Triangle | New Order o Treaty | Yothu Yindi Guiding Questions Consider Marc Chagall’s take on Cubism. How did this process take place? What is unique about each version. or does it diffuse its cultural impact? If you were in Vermeer’s position. What is it about this drum fill that inspires people to sample it in so many styles? And is it ethical to do so. and how can (and should) we use social (or other forms of) media to help those who might need to be found? . can we choose to edit our own memories – if so. Piaget | F. implicit o declarative vs. or can they lead to distortions? If the latter. such as stuffed alpacas? Are our memories always reliable? If not. and what differentiates them from other memories? o Why do we remember some memories more vividly than others? o Does rehearsing a memory make it more likely to be reliable? o Are we more likely to forget memories that we don’t share out loud with friends? . short-term | explicit vs.C. when are distortions most likely? o Studies and Researchers to Explore (Examples) o J. procedural | semantic vs. episodic o eidetic | hyperthymesic | reconstructive o muscle | collective | genetic Flashbulb Memory o What are flashbulb memories? How are they formed. Bartlett | E. Loftus & J. when can they become unreliable? Can our memories lead to distortions of judgment? Can we influence the way people remember us? Even without the help of technology. or even to inanimate objects. how? How reliable is your memory? What steps can you take to make it more reliable? What is the evolutionary value of memory? Does answering this question suggest anything about what memories we might be most likely to hold onto? Understanding Memory The Basics of Memory o What are the biological processes behind memory storage and retrieval? o What types of memory are there? o How do memories affect the way we view the world? o Why is memory considered an active reconstructive process? The Biology of Memory o hippocampus | amygdala | cerebellum | acetylcholine o localization of function | neuroplasticity | neurons | nervous system An Introduction to Schemas o What is schema theory? o How do schemas help structure our memories? o What functions do schemas perform – are they necessary? o Are schemas always reliable.Science The Science of Memory Introductory Questions How do we store and retrieve memories? How do our memories and experiences shape who are are? What makes certain memories “stick” more than others? How does memory relate to attachment—such as to other people.F. Palmer o War of Ghosts | Car Crash Study | Weapons Effect Types of Memory o long-term vs. collectivistic | emotional arousal o Neisser & Harsch | Brown & Kulik | Wang & Aydin Memory Aids to Explore (examples) o elaborative encoding | spaced retrieval | mnemonics | mind palace o Simonides | Giordano Bruno | nootropics | transcranial magnetic stimulation Additional Terms to Know o chunking | priming | interference | memory inhibition o Working Memory Model | Multi-Store Model | Levels of Processing o humor effect | generation effect | positivity effect When Memory Goes Awry What Memory? o Would it ever be ethical to change or remove someone else’s memories? o Is there any way to know for sure whether our memories are accurate? o How accurate is eyewitness testimony? Can it be misleading. o Why are some cultures more likely to forget events as a whole? o Terms and Researchers to Explore (Examples) o overt vs. and can it be improved? o Do people from different cultures and societies remember the same things differently in predictable ways? o To what extent can we trust decisions made by those without sound memory? On the Tip of the Tongue o decay theory | motivated forgetting | gaslighting o amnesia | TBI | blackouts | nostalgia o Alzheimer’s | dementia | Korsakoff’s syndrome o flashback | PTSD | dissociation Biases and Fallacies o Seven Sins of Memory | self-serving bias | rosy retrospection o confabulation | repression | memory implantation | the memory wars o memory conformity | telescoping effect | recall bias Technologies of Remembrance Can technologies help us to remember things? Can they help us to forget them? Elements of Memory in a Digital Age to Explore (Examples) o Jacquard loom | punch card | stored-program computer | drum memory o digitization | caching | crawler | metadata | emulation | RAM o abandonware | digital dark age | obsolescence | link rot o vinyl | GeoCities | Timehop | The Wayback Machine Memory Development to Explore (Examples) o Restoring Active Memory o HDAC inhibition o Optogenetics o Neuroprosthetic implants o Creating false memories o Rewriting existing memories Additional Questions and Cases . covert rehearsal | individualistic vs. personal or social. What do the contents of time capsules tell us about how past generations wanted to be remembered? What would you put in a time capsule if you were to make one? Consider this article about how World War II is taught in different European countries (Part 1 | Part 2). many linguists claim. Viktor Mayer-Schonberger argues that the Internet has made it more difficult for us to leave behind memories—that “the digital realm remembers what is sometimes better forgotten”. How does it connect to individual or collective memories? . Are there any songs that would have such an effect on you? Can any other types of stimuli (perhaps based on other senses) also elicit such vivid memories? How different would we be—as people and as societies—if memory were not an active reconstructive process? Various media can be used to connect you with others in the future. Time capsules. such as the Crypt of Civilization. and if so. consider this warning by novelist Mohsin Hamid. what would you include in them? The word “nostalgia” comes from the Greek words for “home” and “pain”. can allow the past to “communicate” with the future. In many cases. How does education reshape our collective memory? Does the way you learn about something significantly influence the way you remember it. Are there some memories. Is the perspective in this article too critical? Is it always better to have a better memory. Music is extremely powerful as a summoner of past memories because of its emotional connectivity. If you were to create them. may have little or no way to talk about the future or the past. representing a time and place that never existed in the first place. that are best forgotten? Why do we preserve notable historic artifacts and sites? Consider a monument or memorial familiar to you. this home is imagined or idealized. Consider the power of first impressions as you plan your outfit for your next debate. and should they be? What does it take to change an impression? Consider the case of highly superior autobiographical memory. Read this review of his work and discuss with your team: how important is it that we be able to erase our pasts? Is there an upside to memories being harder to forget? Watch this TED talk about memory manipulation by one of the world’s foremost psychologists. or even to a future version of yourself—from diaries and blogs to tombstones and eulogies. Discuss with your team: is nostalgia healthy for individuals? How about for cultures and societies? Then. Snapchat. what does that say about our understanding of supposedly unchangeable historical events? On the other hand. and consider: how trustworthy is your memory? How much weight should memory hold for determining facts? Imagine that you were walking through a mall and happened to hear a song you loved as a child. What does such a culture look like without ancestral memory. a culture that does not venerate or remember its ancestors and whose language. some societies have chosen not to remember. How will future generations tell the story of the 21st century if all our duck-face selfies vanished? What does its archive look like? Compare the United States’ national museum (Chapter 7)’s digital journey to perhaps the most well-known medium of digital ephemera. Why are they so impactful. Consider the implications of a damnatio memoriae. or the ability to talk about the past? History depends on archives: records that allow us to tell the story of the past. meaning a painful longing for home. or is it better to selectively (or un-selectively) forget? Oxford professor Dr. Is it justified? Deep in the Amazon live the Piraha. a condition in which people are unable to forget even the most mundane details of their daily lives. C. Loftus & J.F. can we choose to edit our own memories – if so. Palmer o War of Ghosts | Car Crash Study | Weapons Effect Types of Memory o long-term vs. when can they become unreliable? Can our memories lead to distortions of judgment? Can we influence the way people remember us? Even without the help of technology. episodic o eidetic | hyperthymesic | reconstructive o muscle | collective | genetic Flashbulb Memory o What are flashbulb memories? How are they formed.Science The Science of Memory Introductory Questions How do we store and retrieve memories? How do our memories and experiences shape who are are? What makes certain memories “stick” more than others? How does memory relate to attachment—such as to other people. short-term | explicit vs. and what differentiates them from other memories? o Why do we remember some memories more vividly than others? o Does rehearsing a memory make it more likely to be reliable? o Are we more likely to forget memories that we don’t share out loud with friends? . how? How reliable is your memory? What steps can you take to make it more reliable? What is the evolutionary value of memory? Does answering this question suggest anything about what memories we might be most likely to hold onto? Understanding Memory The Basics of Memory o What are the biological processes behind memory storage and retrieval? o What types of memory are there? o How do memories affect the way we view the world? o Why is memory considered an active reconstructive process? The Biology of Memory o hippocampus | amygdala | cerebellum | acetylcholine o localization of function | neuroplasticity | neurons | nervous system An Introduction to Schemas o What is schema theory? o How do schemas help structure our memories? o What functions do schemas perform – are they necessary? o Are schemas always reliable. or even to inanimate objects. procedural | semantic vs. or can they lead to distortions? If the latter. implicit o declarative vs. Bartlett | E. when are distortions most likely? o Studies and Researchers to Explore (Examples) o J. Piaget | F. such as stuffed alpacas? Are our memories always reliable? If not. and can it be improved? o Do people from different cultures and societies remember the same things differently in predictable ways? o To what extent can we trust decisions made by those without sound memory? On the Tip of the Tongue o decay theory | motivated forgetting | gaslighting o amnesia | TBI | blackouts | nostalgia o Alzheimer’s | dementia | Korsakoff’s syndrome o flashback | PTSD | dissociation Biases and Fallacies o Seven Sins of Memory | self-serving bias | rosy retrospection o confabulation | repression | memory implantation | the memory wars o memory conformity | telescoping effect | recall bias Technologies of Remembrance Can technologies help us to remember things? Can they help us to forget them? Elements of Memory in a Digital Age to Explore (Examples) o Jacquard loom | punch card | stored-program computer | drum memory o digitization | caching | crawler | metadata | emulation | RAM o abandonware | digital dark age | obsolescence | link rot o vinyl | GeoCities | Timehop | The Wayback Machine Memory Development to Explore (Examples) o Restoring Active Memory o HDAC inhibition o Optogenetics o Neuroprosthetic implants o Creating false memories o Rewriting existing memories Additional Questions and Cases . collectivistic | emotional arousal o Neisser & Harsch | Brown & Kulik | Wang & Aydin Memory Aids to Explore (examples) o elaborative encoding | spaced retrieval | mnemonics | mind palace o Simonides | Giordano Bruno | nootropics | transcranial magnetic stimulation Additional Terms to Know o chunking | priming | interference | memory inhibition o Working Memory Model | Multi-Store Model | Levels of Processing o humor effect | generation effect | positivity effect When Memory Goes Awry What Memory? o Would it ever be ethical to change or remove someone else’s memories? o Is there any way to know for sure whether our memories are accurate? o How accurate is eyewitness testimony? Can it be misleading. o Why are some cultures more likely to forget events as a whole? o Terms and Researchers to Explore (Examples) o overt vs. covert rehearsal | individualistic vs. a condition in which people are unable to forget even the most mundane details of their daily lives. Music is extremely powerful as a summoner of past memories because of its emotional connectivity. some societies have chosen not to remember. How will future generations tell the story of the 21st century if all our duck-face selfies vanished? What does its archive look like? Compare the United States’ national museum (Chapter 7)’s digital journey to perhaps the most well-known medium of digital ephemera. If you were to create them. Are there any songs that would have such an effect on you? Can any other types of stimuli (perhaps based on other senses) also elicit such vivid memories? How different would we be—as people and as societies—if memory were not an active reconstructive process? Various media can be used to connect you with others in the future. Viktor Mayer-Schonberger argues that the Internet has made it more difficult for us to leave behind memories—that “the digital realm remembers what is sometimes better forgotten”. such as the Crypt of Civilization. consider this warning by novelist Mohsin Hamid. Consider the power of first impressions as you plan your outfit for your next debate. Snapchat. Read this review of his work and discuss with your team: how important is it that we be able to erase our pasts? Is there an upside to memories being harder to forget? Watch this TED talk about memory manipulation by one of the world’s foremost psychologists. many linguists claim. and should they be? What does it take to change an impression? Consider the case of highly superior autobiographical memory. In many cases. and if so. How does it connect to individual or collective memories? . Why are they so impactful. what would you include in them? The word “nostalgia” comes from the Greek words for “home” and “pain”. Discuss with your team: is nostalgia healthy for individuals? How about for cultures and societies? Then. Are there some memories. a culture that does not venerate or remember its ancestors and whose language. representing a time and place that never existed in the first place. this home is imagined or idealized. What do the contents of time capsules tell us about how past generations wanted to be remembered? What would you put in a time capsule if you were to make one? Consider this article about how World War II is taught in different European countries (Part 1 | Part 2). may have little or no way to talk about the future or the past. what does that say about our understanding of supposedly unchangeable historical events? On the other hand. that are best forgotten? Why do we preserve notable historic artifacts and sites? Consider a monument or memorial familiar to you. meaning a painful longing for home. Consider the implications of a damnatio memoriae. Is the perspective in this article too critical? Is it always better to have a better memory. Is it justified? Deep in the Amazon live the Piraha. or the ability to talk about the past? History depends on archives: records that allow us to tell the story of the past. can allow the past to “communicate” with the future. and consider: how trustworthy is your memory? How much weight should memory hold for determining facts? Imagine that you were walking through a mall and happened to hear a song you loved as a child. personal or social. How does education reshape our collective memory? Does the way you learn about something significantly influence the way you remember it. Time capsules. What does such a culture look like without ancestral memory. or even to a future version of yourself—from diaries and blogs to tombstones and eulogies. or is it better to selectively (or un-selectively) forget? Oxford professor Dr. Social Studies Black Markets Introducing Markets Essential Questions o Do all markets function the same way around the world? o What (or who) determines the prices of goods and services? o What is money – and where do the different types of money derive their value? o To what degree can governments control prices or quantities of goods and services exchanged? Key Terms to Learn o supply | demand | deadweight loss | regulation o perfect competition | imperfect competition | monopoly o taxes | tariffs | embargoes | sanctions | arbitrage o bazaar | souk | exchange | swap meets | boot sales o stock market | futures market | trade agreement o laissez-faire | optimal functionality Contracts: Formalizing Exchanges Essential Questions o Where do contracts derive their authority? o How do contracts vary between countries? o Do all contracts imply a transaction of some sort? o How are contracts negotiated? Be sure to explore the basics of negotiation. does an offer need to be explicitly accepted for the contract to be binding? o Are offers on the market contractual obligations? Key Terms to Research (Examples) o formation | offer | acceptance | agreement o rights | liabilities | breach | estoppel o duty of care | condition | consideration | capacity o terms (implied vs. o Does every contract have an offer and acceptance? If so. express) | misrepresentation | duress o collateral | quid pro quo | caveat emptor | force majeure o smart contracts | oral contract | written contract | adhesion o legal regulation | statutory regulation | formalities | remedies o freedom of contract | sanctity of contract | reasonableness | negligence Black Markets Essential Questions o What makes black markets necessary? o What distinguishes a black market from other kinds of markets—do they function differently? o Are black markets better suited for the offline or online worlds? o What kinds of goods and services are traded on black markets? o Is there a difference between a black market and an informal market? . o Do governments benefit more from eliminating black markets or from regulating them? o Is the new popularity of cryptocurrencies in part of a function of their usefulness on the black market? o Does the term ‘black market’ refer to a specific marketplace in any given country. are they legally enforceable.0 – 3. and can a cryptocurrency be considered a form of money? o What does it mean for a currency to be decentralized and unregulated? o Who controls cryptocurrencies? o Why are people skeptical of cryptocurrencies? o What makes one cryptocurrency different to another? o Why is Bitcoin so volatile? What determines its value? o What kinds of transactions would a cryptocurrency make possible (or easier) that a normal currency might not? o Could goods be valued in cryptocurrencies o Do cryptocurrencies weaken governments? Key Terms to Explore (Examples) o medium of exchange | store of value | unit of account o blockchain ledger | decentralized | mining o hard forks | soft forks | wallets | private keys | volatility Example Cryptocurrencies to Research o Bitcoin | Bitcoin Cash | Ethereum | Ripple | Stellar | Dogecoin Questions for Further Exploration Is it too easy to create a cryptocurrency? Consider the case of doge. or can there be many black markets even in the same place? o Are there contracts in the black market? If so. Does its success point at any problems with the market for cyptocurrencies more broadly? Consider the recent emergence of a widespread black market in Venezuela. Discuss with your team: should consumers be punished for participating in such markets? What drives their popularity? .1 | Darknet | Acropolis Cryptocurrency Introductory Questions to Answer o What is a cryptocurrency. and who should be responsible for enforcing them? o Does anyone regulate black markets? o Are there any countries in which black markets are formally endorsed by the authorities? Key Terms to Learn (Examples) o underground economy | shadow economy | informal economy | unreported economy o black market | grey market | white market o import cycle | fluid supply | compounding crime | commission-free o counterfeiting | smuggling | black money | money laundering o price ceilings | market failure | underground | contraband Black Markets to Explore (Examples) o Organs | Gold | Art | Endangered Animals o Oil | Cigarettes | Slave Trade | Housing o Currency | Weapons | Medicine o Silk Road 1. a cryptocurrency originally intended as a joke. then research other illegally trafficked animals. Discuss with your team: could cryptocurrency help level the global playing field? Or is it wishful thinking to imagine it could provide sufficient opportunities to help lift people out of poverty around the world? In what ways is the “grey market” like and unlike a traditional black market? Do different factors motivate their creation? Discuss with your team: would you be willing to buy something on the gray market that you would not be willing to buy on the black market? Move over. Bitcoin: more and more nations are announcing their own cryptocurrencies. What drives its presence in the black market. pangolins were the most illegally trafficked animal in the world. or does money need to be exchanged in a transaction for it to be counted as such? Does the creation of special economic zones—most famously. if anyone. what would it look like? How about with your teammates? Read Chapter 2 of this book on deal-making by a well-known American political celebrity. if any. Should other countries learn something from the example of Japan? Is national revenue generated through cryptocurrencies as legitimate as that generated through more traditional means of exchange? Would “Torrenting” copyrighted movies or television shows be considered a black market activity. even on a very small scale. What is motivating the government to try to regulate its black market rather than to outlaw it? In cities and countries where Uber operates (or has operated) without official permission. Discuss with your team: can so many cryptocurrencies successfully coexist. What do they have in common. Big Macs. the underground trade in manuka honey. Learn about the effort in Cuba to normalize elements of its widespread black markets— including granting self-employed individuals official licenses to sell pirated movies. and what other unusual goods can you think of that might be similarly valued or illegally exchanged? Investigate the impact of cryptocurrencies on Japan’s GDP. then discuss with your team: does this chapter contain good advice? With what aspects of it. What motivated his kidnapping. though the practice is now common around the world—facilitate black market activity? Or do they diminish it? Interwoven black markets are markets for counterfeit goods—whether Rolex watches or. should be responsible for protecting them? Read about the kidnapping of Bitcoin exchange manager Pavel Lerner. would you have approached it any differently after reading this chapter? As of 2016. and how was he freed? Are cryptocurrencies and criminal behavior too closely linked for cryptocurrencies ever to become a safe medium of exchange? Look into the emergence of Bitcoin ATMs around the world—do they make sense for an online currency? Why might stores and restaurants be motivated to install Bitcoin ATMs. Discuss with your team: would you be willing to buy counterfeit goods that . and how important is it that we determine who he was? Some products on the black market might surprise you—for instance. and who. do you disagree? Be sure to share with your teammates the last time you were involved in making a deal of your own. and why might nations want to have their own? Discuss with your team: is a contract the best way to form a binding agreement between two parties? If you were to sign a contract with your parents. and do these reasons make sense—or are they just part of a passing craze? Satoshi Nakamoto wrote the original “white paper” that helped launch Bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency movement—but no one knows who Satoshi Nakamoto really was. cities such as Shenzhen in China. including for this individual in Nairobi. including Kazakhstan (the CryptoTenge) and Venezuela (the Petro). Discuss with your team: why might this dividual want to remain unknown. can it be seen as a black market service? Consider the emergence of cryptocurrency mining as an entrepreneurial opportunity in the developing world. in Kiev. Learn about the pangolin’s situation. but much cheaper? Be sure to research what goods are most commonly counterfeited in the global marketplace. Consider the Silk Road—not the trade route which once linked Europe and Asia. but an online marketplace for black market transactions that went through several incarnations and spawned multiple imitators and descendants. Discuss with your team: are such marketplaces inevitable? Do they pose a lasting challenge to government control of economic transactions? If you had to design your own online black market. what it would look like? . are as good as the original? What if they are not as good. Ewing For Want of a Nail | Proverb .Literature Voices of the Inseparable Introductory Questions Does literature bring us together. cummings Supple Cord | Naomi Shihab Nye What My Grandmother Meant to Say Was | Aja Monet A Dog Has Died | Pablo Neruda Look Up | Gary Turk Kinship | Margarita Engle Wild Geese | Mary Oliver Valentine | Carol Ann Duffy To Have Without Holding | Marge Piercy Elegy for a Mother. or is reading a fundamentally solo act? Consider different types of literature: does enjoying poetry separate a person from broader culture. bridge (or reinforce) separations between people? To what extent is a writer entangled in his or her culture. entangled word? Did it ever? Poems Love and Friendship I Gave Myself to Him | Emily Dickinson [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] | e. Heart | Lydia Davis Communities Large and Small Mending Wall | Robert Frost No Man is an Island | John Donne The Map of the World Confused with Its Territory | Susan Stewart Maps | Yesenia Montilla Yertle the Turtle | Dr Seuss From | Fatimah Asghar & Eve L. and perhaps literature in general. How do these selections.e. or are written accounts inevitably biased? What causes a work of literature to last? How does the presence of a literary canon—that is. Still Living | Elana Bell Head. or does reading popular novels connect us? Are there forms of literature that can travel between high and low culture? Many of this year’s selection were written by authors who “belong” to two cultures. a body of work agreed to be “important”—connect us to the past? Does the “Western canon” still serve a purpose in our contemporary. and can he or she get outside of it? Can any works of literature truly be considered universal? Why do so many people turn to poetry to express the pain and pleasure of love? Is there a reason poetry is particularly associated with intimate feelings? How does literature help us remember the past (or speak to the future)? Can we trust fictional accounts of the past. they have to have a deep familiarity with the cliches. from In Memorium | Tennyson Sleeping With Ghosts | Stephen Dunn Try to Praise the Mutilated World | Adam Zagajewski Ghosts | Kiki Petrosino What the Living Do | Marie Howe self-portrait in case of disappearance | Safia Elhillo This Hour and What is Dead | Li-Young Lee Inventory | Richard Hoffman Drama & Film Film | Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa) Film | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* Drama | Romeo and Juliet. Act 2. Scene 5 Longer Works The Egg | Andy Weir Reunion | John Cheever The Rules of the Game | Amy Tan Marriage Is a Private Affair | Chinua Achebe Simple Recipes | Madeleine Thien The Perfect Match | Ken Liu Unwind (excerpt) | Neal Shusterman The Kite Runner (excerpts) | Khaled Hosseini Children of the Earth and Sky (chapter 1) | Guy Gavriel Kay Guided Questions and Case Studies Poets and novelists often include a short quotation at the beginning of their work.in which narrator and characters interact. Discuss with your team: is such interactive storytelling a . Does it matter who the translator is? How much freedom should a translator feel in adapting works to a new culture? Consider Dungeons and Dragons as an example of "entangled" storytelling . Discuss with your team: Are epigraphs common in the writings of your culture? Which writers use epigraphs in this year’s selected works. With your team. These epigraphs—“writing above”—both set up the work’s thematic interests and also position the writer in a centuries-old conversation with other writers: an entangling of words and minds. turning one language’s words into another is not always straightforward. and values of both cultures. idioms. Remember | Joy Harjo The Answer | Robinson Jeffers Encounter | Czeslaw Milosz Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles | Sally Wen Mao Hauntings and The Haunted Abiku | Wole Soyinka “Dark House”. Act 3. and why? As we know from Google Translate. consider the challenges and opportunities of translation. Scene 2. Translators must consider not only the literal meaning of a word but also its implications. and character entangled? And is Hamilton the ultimate fanfic? *Film contains mature language and should only be watched with teacher consent and adult guidance. With your team. author. . role-playing games. How do readers help create imaginary worlds? In what way are the roles of reader. it is particularly associated with Internet communities. Speaking of entangled storytelling: although fanfic may dates all the back to the Bible. explore the relationship between fandoms and their source materials. form of literature. and is it growing more common in our Internet-enabled world? You may wish to consider other examples of collaborative.